overshadow

verb

over·​shad·​ow ˌō-vər-ˈsha-(ˌ)dō 

overshadowed; overshadowing; overshadows

transitive verb

1

: to cast a shadow over

2

: to exceed in importance : outweigh

Synonyms of overshadow

• obscure
• darken
• blur
• blacken

Examples of overshadow in a Sentence

The pitcher's outstanding performance should not overshadow the achievements of the rest of the team.

large trees overshadow the yard and darken the house for much of the day

Recent Examples on the Web

Instead, they were overshadowed by Sonos’s disastrous app redesign. — John Higgins, The Verge, 30 Sep. 2026

That this period stopped around Rock of Ages, yes, but also around the time Cruise’s personal life, and specifically his association with Scientology, threatened to overshadow his career. — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 29 Sep. 2026

Over the past month, an attempt by LSU to land two football players who had spent time in NFL training camps led to litigation that overshadowed the start of the season. — ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026

Time after time, any benefits resulting from these projects were consistently overshadowed by the massive costs to the public. — Abigail Hall, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for overshadow

• caddo
• foreshadow

Kids Definition

overshadow

verb

over·​shad·​ow -ˈshad-ō 

1

: to cast a shadow over : darken

2

: to become more important than : outweigh

the win overshadowed the player's injury